The excitement around the laneway home trend is due to many factors. Two of the main being,
1. Affordability
For many buyers having the supplementary income a laneway home provides is the only affordable option. This is especially true for first time buyers
2.Profitability
Sellers are realizing that their properties with laneway access are becoming ever more in demand. Giving them the potential to really maximize their sale price.
Have a look add some completed projects as well as projects currently underway in the city of Toronto…..Exciting times!
The following projects are courtesy of
At 1,300 square feet, this 3-bedroom 2.5-bath rental suite located in the heart of the city aims to rival the traditional condominium or townhouse. With a minimal rectilinear volume, this laneway suite maximizes usable floor area offering all the comforts of home within a compact footprint. The efficient floor plan radiates around a central stair that maintains an open concept ground floor, while defining the entry, living, kitchen, and dining spaces. The upper level hosts a…
Our team was engaged by the homeowners to breathe new life into this 100-year-old coach house, introducing a unique urban living space at the upper level and maintaining the building’s character. The structure was first constructed to house horses for a local milk delivery service and was repurposed over time, garnering a beautiful patina true to the typology of Toronto’s laneway structures. Working with the homeowners at a limited budget and tight spatial allowances, a…
This 495 square foot, two-storey Laneway Suite, is one of our smallest builds to date. Fitted into an extremely tight lot – carved, but not constrained by the by-laws – this one-bedroom suite demonstrates how an urban home can function in a compact footprint. Working within the tight constraints of the property, this small, yet functional Laneway Suite features an open living space on the ground floor and bedroom suite on the upper level. The…
This 1,300 square foot Christie Pits Laneway Suite will become home to the homeowners’ son and partner who are seeking a space uniquely tailored to their needs right in the heart of the community they grew up in. The ground level features a 2-car garage and a large gym space that seamlessly connects to the rear yard. The upper level hosts a well-appointed 2-bedroom living space that can accommodate the evolving needs of the occupants.…
The owner of this large lot in Cabbagetown sought to construct a laneway suite that would become his personal long-term residence on an existing income property. Situated in the heart of the Cabbagetown Heritage District, the building delicately draws from the rich character of the neighbourhood while reinforcing its position as a modern infill structure. The Woodstock Laneway Suite inverts the traditional residential configuration, proposing a ground floor bedroom suite, with an expansive multi-purpose area…
This 1,000 square foot, 3-bed 2-bath laneway suite will become a long-term rental suite with the potential to house the homeowners’ extended family in the future. Benefitting from a well-sized property, the proposed structure is set back from the Southern lot line to permit passage to the garden from a recessed parking pad while providing Southern window exposure. The building geometry is derived with a subtractive approach to the maximum zoning envelope. Reveals and overhangs…
This transitional-style laneway suite in Cabbagetown is situated on a unique property on which stands one of the original heritage cottages in the neighbourhood. Lanescape was engaged by the homeowners to develop a two-storey laneway suite that would provide a modernized garage and live-work space for their personal use, alongside a long-term rental suite on the second floor. Working closely with the homeowner, our team developed a site plan scheme that would limit impact on…
The owners of this unique corner lot approached our Lanescape team to construct a laneway suite that would provide a separate living space for their expanding family. The proposed structure features two storeys of living space above grade in addition to a fully excavated, finished basement level. The ground floor offers a spacious open concept living area with two bedrooms and two bathrooms above, and the basement level provides an additional bedroom, bathroom and family…
The homeowner of this abnormally large property engaged our team to develop a secondary rental unit alongside a major renovation of the primary residence. The proposed laneway suite spans the maximum permitted footprint at 8.0m wide, by 10.0m deep, offering 1720 square feet of living space above grade in addition to a fully excavated basement. Considering the lot’s ample width, our team devised a site plan strategy that would reserve interior area for a large…
The homeowner of this Queen West lot approached Lanescape seeking to create additional revenue and increase the value of their property. Designed as a long-term family-oriented rental, the proposal maximizes the permitted building area while adhering to the as-of-right zoning by-laws. This modern, 1,050 square-foot 2-storey suite offers 3 modest bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms with a comfortable open concept living space at the ground floor and a covered parking pad adjacent the laneway. The building facade…
A laneway suite for a creative urban family. Tasked with creating a large garage and storage space below a 2-bedroom tenanted unit, this modern 1,300 square-foot 2-storey laneway suite is designed for housing flexibility both in the immediate and distant future. Working closely with the homeowners, our team strategized the entire property, proposing minor alterations to the existing residence to leverage the Changing Lanes zoning by-law to the homeowners’ greatest advantage. Two large bedrooms abut…
At under 600 square feet, this two-level one-bedroom suite occupies a modest footprint on a shallow East-end lot. Limited by the available depth of the yard – the width of this uniquely shaped lot was leveraged to maximize usable area while avoiding the need for minor variances approvals to be sought at the Committee of Adjustment. Our team worked with the homeowners to articulate the building facade in order to provide depth and privacy without…
The Crestfallen Laneway Suite is a prime example of spacial efficiency within a modest buildable footprint. This 1100sf suite is tightly fitted to the existing 20′-0″ wide lot, with large detached structures on both sides. Considering the homeowners desired to maximize living space and potential rental revenue, our team proposed a compact 2-bedroom design with a fully excavated basement that would offer an additional bedroom, bathroom and multi-purpose space. This laneway suite is sculpted by…
This 1,000 square feet laneway suite incorporates a spacious 2 bedroom + 1.5 bath living space into a compact building footprint, while offering all the comforts of home for the homeowner’s mother to age in place. At the ground floor, our team carefully crafted building elements to provide a spacious open floor plan with defined living, dining, and kitchen areas. The upper level is designed to be a spacious, flexible layout with a principal bedroom…
